Recordpub.com - Flashes chosen to finish fourth

CLEVELAND - Kent State was selected to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference East Division according to the MAC's Women's Basketball Preseason Poll released Thursday in conjunction with the MAC Media Preview held at Quicken Loans Arena.
Four-time defending MAC regular-season champion Bowling Green was picked to win both the East Division and the MAC Tournament. Miami, the 2008 tournament winner, was chosen second in the East, followed by tournament runner-up Ohio in third. In the West, Ball State was picked to repeat as the division winner.
Kent State senior center Anna Kowalska was one of five East Division players selected to the Preseason All-Mid-American Conference Team and joined head coach Bob Lindsay at the MAC Basketball Media Preview with their sights set well beyond fourth place.
Seldom does a storied basketball program like Kent State return all five of its starters from the previous season. But for the 2008-09 year, the Golden Flashes will do exactly that, along with the return of another starter from the 2006-07 season and two additional letterwinners. Add to the equation four newcomers with the raw ability to make an immediate impact, and you have yourself a contender for the postseason.
A return to the postseason is just one of several goals for Lindsay and the Golden Flashes, who have made four NCAA Tournament appearances and one WNIT appearance since 1996.
En route to postseason play, KSU expects to compete for division, league and tournament championships, all of which have been a common part of the school's history.
"This team will have a good combination of size, depth and athleticism," Lindsay said. "It will be up to us to show we are prepared to win consistently this season. I like our chances with regards to improvement, competitiveness and possible success."
A young Kent State team gained invaluable experience during the 2007-08 campaign, showing tremendous improvement along the way. This season, the Flashes will not only have the experience they once lacked, but also depth at every position as opposed to having only seven healthy players throughout much of last season.
"The strength of our team this season will be the experience we gained from last year," Lindsay said. "We saw consistent improvement last season in spite of a very difficult situation with reduced roster numbers and we learned a great deal from that situation."
Other objectives for the Flashes include double digit win totals in both conference and non-conference games. The 20-plus win goal has become reality 11 times since 1993. Traditionally a strong defensive unit, KSU also looks to improve in all defensive statistical areas.